CoroCoro Reveals Four Pokémon, a New Region, and New Features

The new issue of the popular CoroCoro magazine has just been released in Japan, and alongside four new Pokémon, it has revealed tons of exciting information about the upcoming Pokémon X and Y Versions for Nintendo 3DS. Whether or not this is the information that was planned to be unveiled on May 19th is unsure, but we do know that there are plenty of new interesting details about the two upcoming titles.

The first of these details is that the game will take place in the Karos region, which, as many expected, is based on the real-world country of France. The player will begin his or her journey in a place called Miare City, which suggests that, much like Pokémon Black and White 2, the traditionally quaint and nostalgic hometown will be set aside for a larger and more energetic city.

The first of these four Pokémon is the Grass-type Gogoat. Gogoat is the Riding Pokémon, and it is based on—well—a goat. Gogoat has been shown in CoroCoro to use Horn Leech, which was once the signature move of Sawsbuck in Generation V. It appears that you can actually ride this Pokémon in the field, much like the Bicycle from previous installments in the series. Whether this new mount feature replaces or supplements the traditional use of the bicycle is unknown, but let’s hope that Gogoat is only the first of many potential mount Pokémon. This system could also be possibly used as a new field move, trampling over boulders, trees, marshes, or other obstacles in order to progress. This feature certainly is an interesting addition, and probably one that nobody saw coming.

The second Pokémon is the Electric/Normal-type Elikiteru. Called the “Generation Pokémon,” Elikiteru is a yellow Pokémon largely based on a lizard, which uses solar energy to generate electricity.. It can learn a new move called Parabola Charge, which simultaneously damages the opponent and heals the user, not unlike classic moves such as Leech Life and Giga Drain.

The third Pokémon is the traditional Normal/Flying-type of each new generation, the Robin Pokémon Yayakoma. Yayakoma can learn the move Flame Charge, which may suggest that its evolutions will have something to do with the Fire type. We haven’t seen a Fire/Flying type combination since Ho-Oh in Generation II, so a new flaming bird would certainly be an interesting addition.

The final Pokémon revealed by CoroCoro today is the Fighting-type Yancham, called the Naughty Pokémon. Yancham is heavily based on a small panda cub, which to me brings to mind Dreamworks’ Kung Fu Panda, which was probably not Game Freak’s inspiration for the design, but a nice callback nonetheless. Yancham is also able to learn a new move called Parting Remark.

Aside from these new Pokémon, Game Freak has also granted players the long-awaited ability to customize their in-world characters. So far we have only seen varying skin tones, hair colors and hair styles, but it is currently unknown if other options such as customizable clothing and facial features will be offered. If you look closely at the scans provided below, you’ll be able to see all of these new features in action, as well as the box art, the new Pokédex, and even a few screenshots from the game!

Personally, I’m excited to be able to ride my Pokémon around the overworld, and though customizable characters is a great new addition to the franchise, I hope they go beyond skin tones and hair colors. What do you think of all of these new features? Share your thoughts in the comments!

I love video games. That's why I write about them. My first console was the Nintendo 64 and we got it when I was 4, along with Super Mario 64. I finished the game on my own when I was 6. One of my all time favorites of that generation is Donkey Kong 64. I love the bosses, I love the level designs, I love how you can play with multiple characters, and I love how many collectibles there are.
I was mostly a Nintendo gamer until 2010, when I discovered Assassin's Creed. My PC could barely run it, but it played good enough to provide an amazing experience. Since then I've had a lot of catching up to do, and I'm now a big fan of Mass Effect, Dead Space, Resident Evil and the Batman: Arkham games, among others.